Carage floor dam



United States Patent Ofifice 3,052,248 Patented Sept. 4, 1962 3,652,248GARAGE FLQGR DAM Edward M. Renter, 41211 Llewe lyn, Northville, Mich.Filed Apr. 2, 1959, Ser. No. 803,610 3 (Jlaims. (til. 134-199) Thisinvention relates to a device for isolating a portion of the area of afloor, and more particularly to a special barrier for an area of a floorto isolate that area.

In the winter-time motor vehicles gather quantities of snow and ice onthe undercarriage, and after standing in the garage some of the snowmelts and generally forms puddles of water over the garage floor causingit to be dirty, slippery and upon refreezing, considerably dangerous.This invention provides abarrier constructed of a plurality of joinedstrips, designed to be attached to the floor to isolate an area thereofwherein one or more motor vehicles may stand until the ice and snowmelts from the undercarriage. The barrier prevents the melted snow fromrunning over the entire floor and causing puddles which are not onlyannoying but actually dangerous, especially upon re-freezing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a barrier for a portion ofthe area of a floor, wherein there are means by which the barrier may beused for flushing the isolated area. These means consist preferably of awater passage in the strip that forms the barrier, plus a number oforifices directed inwardly of the isolated area. By attaching aconventional hose to the barrier, the passage may be supplied with waterunder pressure which ultimately passes through the orifices and sweepsacross the floor area isolated by the barrier.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic top view showing the barrier in use.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE1.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a modification of one of thestrips that forms the barrier.

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view showing another modification.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view showing a further modification.

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a in FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 10 is a sectional view taken on the line Ill-10 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 11 is an enlarged sectional view showing a corner construction ofthe barrier in FIGURE 6.

In the accompanying drawings there is a garage 10 diagrammaticallyillustrated. This garage may be of any dimension. It has floor 12 whichis ordinarily made of concrete inasmuch as the preferred, but notnecessarily the exclusive, use of the invention is in garages, servicestations and other places which ordinarily service motor vehicles ofvarious types.

Barrier 14- shown in FIGURES l-3 is but one possible form of theinvention. It is made of three elongate strips 16, 18 and 26. The strips16 and 18 are joined at right angles to each other and strips 13 and 20are perspective view of the end piece shown also joined at right anglesto each other forming a generally U-shaped isolated area 24 on floor 12which has an open side 26 for ingress and egress of the motor vehicle.

All of the strips may be made of numerous materials. For instance, thestrips from which the barrier is made may be constructed from varioustubular plastics e.g. polyethylene, metal, rubber either natural orsynthetic, or any elastomeric substance. Barrier 14 is attached to floor12 by being cemented in place, although it is clearly understood thatother means of fastening the barrier strips 16, 18 and 20 may beresorted to. Typical barrier strip 16 is shown in FIGURE 3. It has anapproximately fiat upper surface 28 and an approximately flat bottomsurface 36 which is cemented in place on floor 12 around its side 32 andan upstanding side 34. A longitudinal passage 36 is in strip 16 andjoins to an identical passage in strips 18 and 20. The passage 36 isclosed at its ends but is in communication with a nipple 40 or someother type of hose coupling so that a source of water under pressure maybe operatively connected therewith to supply passage 36 with water. Anumber of orifices 42 are in strip 16 and they are in communication withpassage 36 so that when water under pressure enters the passage 36, itis discharged through the orifices. The orifices are directed inwardlytoward area 24 so that the water issuing therefrom will be swept acrossthis area for the purpose of cleaning it.

FIGURE 4 shows strip 50. This strip differs from strip 16 only to theextent that passage 52 therein is located in the center of the stripinstead of to one side thereof. Further, strips 16 and 50 each havesloping surfaces at the top thereof to facilitate walking or riding overthe strips. By having the smooth bevel, persons are less likely to tripover the strip, even though this likelihood is remote in view of thesmall thickness of the strips. They need only be an inch or two inchesthick at the highest points.

A further modification is shown in FIGURE 5 where strip 54 has a ratherlarge passage 56. In this form of the invention, as in all other forms,orifices may be provided in registry with passage 56 so that water maybe issued in jet streams therefrom to sweep across area 24.Alternatively, each of the forms of the strip may be manufacturedwithout passages and without orifices but this would be at the expenseof the capability of the barrier to issue water in a direction to sweepacross the enclosed area 24. The result would be that cleaning wouldhave to be accomplished by conventional practice. Strip 54 has slightlyangulated sides, and the top surface 58 is formed with a tread design.This is an optional feature.

Reference is now made to FIGURES 6-l1 where another type of strip isshown. Noting first FIGURE 9, strip 61) disclosed therein has a passage62 in the form of an arch when viewed in cross-section. The sides orside walls rise upwardly from the bottom of the strip a very shortdistance but sufiicient to have orifices 64 in one wall thereof, whichregister with passage 62. FIG- URE 6 shows that the strips need not bemade in one piece. All strips 16, 50, 54 and 60 may be made sectionaland joined together so that the lay-out and size of the isolated area ofthe floor may be selected in accordance with the desires of the user asdictated by his particula demands, floor area available, etc.

Barrier 66 is constructed of strips 68, 70 and 72 joined at their endsto form a generally U-shaped isolated area. Typical strip 72 is made intwo sections 74 and 76 connected together by coupling 78 (FIGURE 10)consist ing of a short sleeve with a passage 86 therethrough. The shortsleeve is fitted into passage 62 thereby registering the passages of thesections with each other. Sleeve 78 may be joined to the sections in anysuitable way, for instance it may be cemented in place.

The corners 86 are formed by a right angle coupling 88 in the form of anelbow. The ends of it are fitted into the passages 62 of the adjacentsides, 70 and 74 in the illustrated instance (FIGURE 11), and held inplace by standard fasteners or fastening means, as cement.

The ends of passages 62 are closed by end members 90 and 92, each ofwhich is identical. End member 90 is made of a short body having a ramp94 at one end rising from the leading edge and tapering upwardly as themember 90 approaches the end of section 72 (\FIGURE 7). A reduced end 96of member 90 is fitted into the end of passage 62, thereby sealing it.End members 90 and 92 may be attached to sides 72 and 68 by cementing inthe case of rubber, plastic and by other means when other materials ofconstruction are used for the barrier.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A portable device to isolate a portion of the area of a floor, saiddevice comprising a plurality of horizontally disposed strips lying onthe floor in immediate contact therewith, said strips being much longerthan they are wide and tall, means separab-ly joining said stripstogether :at some of their ends to define an enclosure with an open sidefor ingress and egress to the space on the floor within said strips,said strips constituting a short vertical barrier on the floor, saidbarrier having an elongate passage extending longitudinally therein,said passage having closed ends and a plurality of laterally disposedorifices directed inwardly of said space, a coupling to connect with awater supply, said coupling registered with said passage to conductwater into said passage for issuance through said orifices to flush saidspace.

2. In combination, a garage having a vehicle entrance and including afloor, and a generally U-shaped elastomeric water barrier, adhered tothe floor in sealing contact therewith and opening toward the entrancefor receiving within the confines or" the barrier a vehicle from theentrance and for the outflow of water therethrough, said barrier beingtubular for receiving water under pressure and having inwardly anddownwardly directed orifices therein for flushing the floor within theconfines of said barrier.

3. The combination of claim 2, said barrier comprising a plurality ofsections secured to the floor, and means for detachably connecting saidsections.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS789,588 Case May 9, 1905 802,772 McCoy Oct. 24, 1905 938,984 Curry Nov.2, 1909 939,804 Christy Nov. 9, 1909 1,183,391 Mason May 16, 19161,304,726 Bailey May 27, 1919 1,473,709 Otis Nov. 13, 1923 1,544,380Edmonston June 30, 1925 1,630,553 Watson May 31, 1927 1,680,796Lostettcr Aug. 14, 1928 2,209,181 Wendel July 2 3, 1940 2,536,843 DyeIan. 2, 1951 2,689,577 Dunn Sept. 21, 1954 2,752,925 Friers July 13,1956 2,981,266 Tamburri Apr. 25, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 670,107 GreatBritain Apr. 16, 1952 1,051,333 France Sept. 16, 1953 OTHER REFERENCESPopular Science, magazine, November 1945 (pages 143-144).

